An Interview with Author/Illustrator Mathew Franklin and Book Review of Frankie's Scared of Everything

An Interview with Author/Illustrator Mathew Franklin
Author and Illustrator of Frankie's Scared of Everything
Thank you to Mathew Franklin for being Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk's first picture book author/illustrator interview! Read on to see my and T's interview questions, and our review of Frankie's Scared of Everything.


Mom's Interview Questions:


Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk: I understand that you are living in Columbus, OH, right now, where the arts scene has been described as "progressive." What's it like to be an artist there?

Mathew Franklin: Columbus is one of the most thriving and open art communities in America. This town has given me more opportunities than I could have dreamed of. I moved here in the fall of 2009 and I think I had my first gallery show before the end of the year. Not your normal gallery – in the basement of a 2 bedroom house near the arts district. People are showing art and making music in every corner of the city. It's really exciting and full of love for art.

GW, GM: What genres do you enjoy reading? How do your reading preferences inform your writing?

Franklin: I primarily stick with non-fiction, and it's almost entirely audio books these days. I love philosophy, pop science, any investigative journalism. I find myself gravitating toward the absurdity in reality. I am able to draw and paint while listening to books. I feel they serve to create moods for my visual expression. If I am telling a story the imagery typically comes first, then the writing.

GW, GM: Can you name an all-time favorite book, or does it change regularly?

Franklin: Questions like these are difficult when there is so much amazing writing out there! Currently there is a bookshelf immediately to the right of my desk. When I look at it the 2 books closest to me are Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson and The Dark Tower by Stephen King. An all time favorite fluctuates often, but those 2 stay in my top 10!

GW, GM: In consideration of this blog's tilt toward children's literature, can you share any picture books that had an impact on you as a child? Are there any particularly memorable authors who shaped you as a young reader?

Franklin: Well, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein still makes me cry. I can remember that impacted me greatly as a kid, and maybe the first time I realized what empathy was! I am also a huge Goosebumps fan (not picture books haha). Being a kid in the 90's in Ohio – Goosebumps by R. L. Stine (also from Ohio) was a big deal.

GW, GM: Frankie imagines a different enemy in each noise. I often think that a certain refrigerator sounds like it is ready to blast off to outer space. How did you select which noises would scare Frankie?

Franklin: I live in the middle of downtown Columbus, OH, which is actually pretty busy. I made a long list of potential noises to make into monsters then actually listened to what was around me and chose that way. There is no train out my window, but there is a bus stop; I liked the concept of a train better. Otherwise it was exactly noises I heard at the moment.

GW, GM: We know a number of moms with tattoos, but this is the first one we've seen in a picture book. Would you say this is a deliberate effort to depict an oft-ignored trait, an echo of your talent as a tattoo artist, a bit of both...?

Franklin: It is absolutely a bit of both. I have noticed an under representation of adults with tattoos in children's literature. A lot of my tattoo clients have kids and mentioned this to me. I didn't want this book to be about tattoos but I did want that represented in a subtle way.

Son's Interview Questions:

T: Why is it like all the words are taped on slips of paper?

Franklin: Frankie likes to draw little pictures and tape them to his walls. I thought it would be fun if his thoughts were like his drawings and he taped them up everywhere.

T:
What is the pencil [on the cover] supposed to look like?

Franklin: I thought the pencil is like Frankie's own magic wand. He can use it to turn scary stuff into friendly stuff.

T: What is a mole man?

Franklin: A mole man is part man / part mole! He lives underground. I think what's really scary is we don't know what he wants!

T: What type of sea creature is it?

Franklin: I didn't want it to be any one specific sea creature, but it definitely leans toward giant octopus!
Book Review

Frankie's Scared of Everything
By Mathew Franklin
Published October 2019

Mom's Review
There are two things that set Frankie's Scared of Everything apart from other picture books. The first thing is a detail: the mom has a tattoo. We know a number of moms and grandmas with tattoos, but I've never noticed this trait depicted in children's literature before. Because the tattoo isn't the focus, it comes across as a totally normal mom-characteristic. If I had a tattoo, I think I would like to point out this mom and say, "Hey, just like Mommy!"

The second and more important aspect is the premise of the book itself: Frankie is scared of the strange noises in his house at night. Relatable, no? Frankie imagines the various noises are horrible monsters coming to get him; he tries to escape them and ends up in his mom's bed. She reassures him that there are no monsters by showing him each machine and listening to its sound with him. Frankie's Scared of Everything is so realistic, so concrete. Many of the emotion-focused books we've read are general. This one tackles a specific and common fear. Just this week, T and I both screamed when a huge load of ice and snow fell off the roof; the unfamiliar rumble and crash scared T at first. Now he understands the sound and is no longer afraid; he'll even comment about the amount of snow falling. It's like we were living out the storyline, but with snow instead of the washing machine.  The common fear of strange noises at night, paired with the mother's allaying of her son's fears, makes for a powerful story about imagination, fear, and comfort.

Son's Review
Age: almost 5

Mom: If Frankie came to you scared, what would you do?

Son: I would tell him monsters aren't real. If you worry, you could tell your imagination to think of flowers or other fancy things or go away.

Mom: Do you every feel like Frankie?

Son: Yes, a lot of times I do. Sometimes I feel like there's a monster coming to get me.

Mom: What helps you when you are scared?

Son: Telling myself, "Monsters are not real. Just go away, imagination!"

Mom: I like that the mommy has a tattoo. It reminds me of some mommies we know...

Son: I do too. One mommy is Aunt C!

Mom: What is the best part of the book?

Son: When you get to see the mole man because the mole man looks cool and he also looks huge.

Mom: Was there anything you didn't like?

Son: No.

Mom: What can people expect if they read Frankie's Scared of Everything?

Son: You'll be able to see what a blue mole man looks like. I mean the top of what a mole man looks like, part of a mole man's tale, and how big he is.



For Fun:


Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Comments